The present invention relates to a method for providing advance notification of a parts shortage in a parts supply device of an electronic parts mounting machine.
An example of a conventional method for providing advance notification of a shortage of parts in a parts supply device mounted on an electronic parts mounting machine is described below.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an electronic parts mounting machine 101. Reference numeral 102 denotes an operation panel of the electronic parts mounting machine 101 and reference numeral 103 denotes a monitor screen of the electronic parts mounting machine 101.
Conventionally, an operator manually inputs into the electronic parts mounting machine 101 an initial value denoting the quantity of parts held by the parts supply device 104 and an advance notification value denoting a parts shortage quantity by means of the operation panel 102. The electronic parts mounting machine 101 rewrites the quantity of parts held by each parts supply device 104 according to a parts mounting operation, and when the advance notification value has been attained, the operator is notified of a parts shortage by means of the monitor screen 103 in advance of the total exhaustion of parts.
However, the above-described method for providing advance notification of the shortage of parts held by the parts supply device in the electronic parts mounting machine has the following disadvantages:
(1) It is necessary for the operator to manually input to the mounting machine the initial value denoting the quantity of parts held by each parts supply device 104 and the advance notification value denoting a parts shortage quantity by means of the operation panel 102 and the monitor screen 103. In recent years it has become the practice to set tens to hundreds of parts supply devices on the electronic parts mounting machine 101, so that the above operation takes much time and labor and in addition, an erroneous input may occur. Further, when the parts supply device 104 which has been removed from the electronic parts mounting machine 101 is set thereon again, the operator does not know the quantity of parts held by each parts supply device and the operator thus cannot input the initial value denoting the quantity of parts mounted thereon into the electronic parts mounting machine 101. PA1 (2) If a parts shortage suddenly occurs in the electronic parts mounting machine 101 without the time of the occurrence of the parts shortage being known, a parts mounting operation is suspended until another parts supply device 104 is prepared, and the operation rate of the electronic parts mounting machine 101 decreases. PA1 (3) The operator does not know tho number of substrates comprising electronic parts set on the electronic parts mounting machine 101 in managing the number of substrates to be manufactured for the switch of one kind machine to another kind of machine. PA1 storing a quantity of parts, which is held by each parts supply device, in a storing section provided in each parts supply device; PA1 rewriting the quantity of parts according to number of parts taken out from the parts supply device by a calculating section provided in each parts supply device; PA1 reading out an initial value of the quantity of parts held by each parts supply device, by a control section provided in an electronic parts mounting machine; PA1 calculating one of the quantity of parts required for the substrate and period of time required for mounting the part on the substrate by a calculating section provided in the electronic parts mounting machine; and PA1 carrying out in advance a parts shortage advance notification in each parts supply device based on a result of the calculating step.